Gunman's aunt from Crystal Lake: 'We’re shaken to the core'

CRYSTAL LAKE – The aunt of the suspect in the Connecticut school shooting says her family is “shaken to the core” by Friday’s massacre that left 26 people dead, including 20 elementary-aged children.

“We’re in total shock. No one can believe it,” Marsha Lanza of Crystal Lake told the Northwest Herald late Friday night. “This whole thing is mind-boggling. We’re shaken to the core.”

Marsha Lanza’s sister-in-law, Nancy, was among those killed by Adam Lanza in Friday’s rampage. In a phone interview with the Northwest Herald, Marsha Lanza said she had not seen Adam since he was about 3 years old, but communicated regularly with his mother.

“I knew he had some learning issues in school,” Marsha said, “but I don’t know if there were any behavioral issues. Right now, we don’t know any more than you probably do.”

Marsha said her husband, Nancy’s brother, is in North Carolina working because he lost his job in Illinois. She said her husband saw Adam this past summer and did not notice that he was suffering from any mental health issues.

“I’m numb; my heart is absolutely numb,” Marsha Lanza said.

Marsha Lanza has lived with her family in Crystal Lake since 1999. They have five boys, two of whom attend Prairie Ridge High School.

She told The Associated Press that her nephew was raised by kind, nurturing parents who would not have hesitated to seek mental help for him if he needed it.